Songs of Disappearance is a 24-minute album of endangered birdcalls recorded by Australia’s best wildlife sound recordist, David Stewart. It sold over 2,000 copies and shows the love of Australians who want to help their native species — with all proceeds (收益) going to conservation of our feathered friends.
Its genesis came when Stephen Garnett, a conservation professor at Charles Darwin University, finished the2020 Action Plan for Australian Birds, a set of recommendations that found 1 in 6 native species are threatened with extinction. He had a conversation with his Ph.D. student Anthony Albrecht, a classical cellist (大提琴手) and one-half of a two-person multimedia company called the Bowerbird Collective.
Albrecht asked his advisor if there was anything Bowerbird Collective could do to make people aware of the action plan. That was when they discussed the idea of an album. “I knew it was an ambitious thing to suggest and — I don’t know — Stephen’s a little bit crazy like me, and he said, let's do this,” Albrecht tells NPR. The other half of Bowerbird, the violinist Simone Slattery, arranged a musical collage (拼贴) of all 53 birds on the record, while the remaining tracks are each bird’s individual songs recorded by Stewart.
“We did it! Thanks to your incredible support we reached Number 3 in the ARIA charts, ahead of Taylor Swift, ABBA, Mariah Carey and Michael Buble,” the organizers wrote on their website, noting the Christmas-time bump given to the latter.
All proceeds of the album were donated to BirdLife Australia, which helped in production.
Some of the singing comes from birds that are Critically-Endangered, and one bird, the Night Parrot, wasn’t even known to science until 2013. “The golden bowerbird sounds like a death ray from some cheesy 70s sci-fi series,” says Sean Dooley, the national public affairs manager at BirdLife Australia.
1. What does the underlined word “genesis” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Conversation. | B．Change. | C．Record. | D．Beginning |
| A．David Stewart. | B．Anthony Albrecht. | C．Simone Slattery. | D．Sean Dooley. |
| A．To state the popularity of the album. |
| B．To compare different musical styles. |
| C．To stress the influence of the album. |
| D．To show Taylor Swift’s love for the album. |
| A．To record a new album. |
| B．To preserve endangered birds. |
| C．To donate to charity organizations. |
| D．To expand the multimedia company. |
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【推荐1】When little kids line up for the school picture day, there’s the typical nervousness as they get ready to show off their wide-toothed smiles. Maybe they’re wearing their best clothes. But the children who sit in front of the camera as part of Project Picture Day are a special kind of subject. They’re kids who get to be the focus of attention for the very first time.
Jules Alonzo brainstormed with his professional photographer friend about how they could combine a love for photography and working with children in poor areas. They created a concept and had a trial run in the Dominican Republic, taking photos of kids at school. Since then, the organization has reached many students and schools in three countries and it’s not for profit, which has made the Project Picture Day team of six members admired by many people. The team spend time photographing the students and editing and printing their photos.
“It’s funny and slightly embarrassing to see a photo of themselves. They love to show their peers and everyone gets a good laugh,” Alonzo says. “There’s a sense of pride and the whole ‘look at me!’ starts to spread across the room as more students get their photos. Others run to their parents to show them. Honestly, the reactions are the best part of all of this.” Besides photos, each student gets a care package including a notebook and a pencil. The group used to bring in donated supplies, but they soon realized that purchasing the school supplies locally had a positive economic impact. The students appreciate the supplies, but they’re truly charmed by the photos.
The group hope those kids can see themselves in a new light. These photos are meant to serve as a reminder of their accomplishment. Education, something that’s considered a luxury (奢侈品) in most poor countries, is indeed something to feel proud of and that’s something that makes the parents proud, too. For a parent, the photo means their child can go to school. The photo has a huge impact.
1. What’s special about the subject of Project Picture Day?| A．They’re too nervous to show off themselves. |
| B．They dress themselves beautifully. |
| C．They hardly got photographed before. |
| D．They will probably attract public attention. |
| A．Their great care for kids’ mental health. |
| B．Their volunteering to photograph many kids. |
| C．Their outstanding skills in taking photos of kids. |
| D．Their contribution to improving poor areas’ education. |
| A．Curious and excited. | B．Embarrassed and confused. |
| C．Shocked but appreciative | D．Anxious and grateful. |
| A．Fewer people make any donations. |
| B．Students appreciate photos more than supplies. |
| C．They find donated supplies make little sense. |
| D．They want to contribute to the local economy. |
| A．The magic of having a photo for poor students |
| B．The development of Project Picture Day |
| C．The kids’ love for their photographs |
| D．The education in poor countries |
【推荐2】Every morning at 6 am Alan Swallow gets out of bed, has breakfast and reads the paper. And for that he is an unsung hero.
When he reads The Southland Times in the morning, he reads it aloud and records if for people who are visually impaired(受损的).
The Blind Foundation provides its members with the Telephone Information Service(TIS) which has articles from more than 70 newspapers, radio and TV schedules, finance information, public and government notices and updates from the Blind Foundation. For 17 years Swallow has read the paper for the service. In the early days someone would head down to the local studio to record the news for the day and they had one chance to get it right. Nowadays, the news readers can work from home suing their phones.
The TIS service is available 365 days a year, and it could sometimes take him an hour to get through the local news items he had chosen. “It doesn’t take much effort, but it does take a commitment because people are relying on it.” He said.
The service had struggled for some time with volunteers because not many people knew about it. Swallow said, “It was fulfilling to know that people were benefiting from what he was doing.”
For Blind Foundation social function organiser Liz Anstice, the opportunity to give back to a foundation that had given much to her, was a nice aspect of the role. She has been involved with the foundation for five years after she became visually impaired. She said the biggest challenge was building the trust that people had in the local branch of the foundation.
Anstice reformed the social committee group and changed things so people did not get bored. The Christmas celebrations had been so well received members from the Blind Foundation in Balclutha were coming down for them. However, sometimes getting members to the events was a challenge because of a lack of volunteers available to transport them, she said. She was proud of being a finalist for the Volunteer Recognition Award.
1. How does Alan Swallow work for The Blind Foundation?| A．By writing newspaper articles. |
| B．By reading news for the blind. |
| C．By updating local news every day. |
| D．By collecting telephone information. |
| A．Time-consuming. | B．Challenging. | C．Satisfying. | D．Struggling. |
| A．People’s distrust. | B．Costs of transport. |
| C．Boredom of events. | D．Shortage of volunteers. |
| A．Blind Foundation Recognizes Its Unsung Heroes |
| B．Work for Telephone Information Service |
| C．Great Challenges to Blind Foundation |
| D．Blind Foundation: Reforms Going on |
Littleton Children’s Home
We DON’T want your money, but children’s toys, books and clothes IN GOOD CONDITION would be very welcome.
Also, we are looking for friendly families who would take our children into their homes for a few hours or days as guests. You have so much─will you share it?
Phone Sister Thomas on 55671
Children’s Hospice
We look after a small number of very sick children. This important work needs skill and love. We cannot continue without gifts or money to pay for more nursing staff. We also need storybooks and toys suitable for quiet games.
Please contact the Secretary, Little Children’s Hospice, Newby Road.
Street Food
In the winter weather, it’s no fun being homeless. It’s even worse if you’re hungry. We give hot food to at least fifty people every night. It’s hard work, but necessary. Can you come and help? If not, can you offer a little money? We use a very old kitchen, and we need some new saucepans(平底锅). Money for new ones would be most welcome indeed.
Contact Street Food, c/o Mary’s House, Elming Way. Littleton Phone 27713
Littleton Youth Club
Have you got an unwanted chair? ─ a record-player? ─ a pot of paint ? Because we can use them!
We want to get to work on our meeting room!
Please phone 66231 and we’ll be happy to collect anything you can give us.
Thank you!
The Night Shelter
We offer a warm bed for the night to anyone who has nowhere to go. We rent the former Commercial Hotel on Green Street. Although it is not expensive, we never seem to have quite enough money. Can you let us have a few pounds? Any amount, however small, will be such a help.
Send it to us at 15, Green St, Littleton. Please make check payable to Night Shelter.
1. What kind of people are these organizations designed for?
| A．Homeless and sick children |
| B．Less fortunate members of our society |
| C．Hungry people who have no beds to sleep in |
| D．Friendly members of our society to help others |
| A．Street Food | B．The Night Shelter |
| C．Littleton Children’s Home | D．Children’s Hospice |
| A．There are too many social problems in this society. |
| B．People are very poor during the time of giving. |
| C．To offer help is just an excuse for these organizations to collect money. |
| D．There are many organizations trying to solve social problems. |
| A．Old furniture and second-hand electrical equipment. |
| B．An apartment and some saucepans. |
| C．Hot food and storybooks. |
| D．A sum of money and children’s toys. |
【推荐1】Global food demand will double by 2050, according to a new projection, and the farming techniques used to meet that unprecedented(空前的) demand will significantly determine how severe the impact is on the environment, researchers said.
The study researchers warned that meeting the demand for food would clear more land, increase nitrogen(氮) use and significantly add to carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.
“Agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions could double by 2050 if current trends in global food production continue,” study researcher David Tilman, of the University of Minnesota, said in a statement. “This would be a major problem, since global agriculture already accounts for a third of all greenhouse gas emissions.”
The researchers studied various ways in which the increasing food demand could be mentioned. They found that the most environmentally friendly and cost-effective approach would be for more food producers to adopt the nitrogen-efficient “intensive” farming method, which involves the heavy use of labor and the production of more crops per acre.
This approach was shown to be more effective than the “extensive” farming currently practiced by many poor nations, a method that includes clearing more new land to produce more food.
Different farming methods produce significantly different yields, the researchers found — in 2005, the crop yields for the wealthiest nations were more than 300 percent higher than what the poorest nations produced.
According to their analysis of the effects of extensive farming, if poorer nations continue using this method, by 2050 they will have cleared an area larger than the United States, about 2.5 billion acres. However, if wealthy nations help poorer nations to improve food yields by incorporating(吸收) intensive farming practices, that number could be reduced to half a billion acres.
The researchers stress that the environmental effects of meeting future food demand depend on how global agriculture expands and develops.
“Our analyses show that we can save most of the Earth’s remaining ecosystems by helping the poorer nations of the world feed themselves,” Tilman said.
1. What is the best title of this passage?| A．The World Will Need Double Food by 2050 |
| B．Man Will Face the Risk of Lacking Food in the Future |
| C．Future Farmers Hold Environment’s Fate in Their Hands |
| D．Different Farming Methods Produce Significantly Different Yields |
| A．very cost-effective |
| B．to produce more crops per acre |
| C．at cost of more new land to produce more food |
| D．very environmentally friendly |
| A．poorer nations mainly use the intensive farming |
| B．wealthy nations mainly use the extensive farming |
| C．the intensive farming needs less food producers |
| D．the extensive farming has a worse effect on ecosystems |
| A．poorer nations |
| B．the effects of extensive farming |
| C．wealthy nations |
| D．future food demand |
【推荐2】Last fall my class and I went through an exercise to help the students understand how the world might address the climate crisis. Several things surprised the students. One was that nuclear power doesn’t help.
But many people think nuclear energy is going to be the climate solution. President Obama included federal loan guarantees for nuclear power in his energy plan, in the hopes of jump-starting construction and gain Republican support. (It did neither.) If I post something even faintly skeptical about nuclear power on Twitter, its advocates come out in force, accusing me of being a conservative, or worse.
What is it about nuclear energy that makes its advocates so determined in the face of what should be discouraging facts? After all, unlike futuristic, untried technologies, we have plenty of facts about this one, and most of them are discouraging. The first American civilian nuclear power plant broke ground in Pennsylvania in 1954, around the same time that physicist John von Neumann predicted that, within a few decades, nuclear power would be so efficient as to make energy “free—just like the unmetered air.” That didn’t happen. Today nuclear power remains the most expensive form of electricity generation in the U.S. -typically costing twice as much as a fossil-fuel-based plant.
Why then do so many people keep coming back to it? I think it’s the same reason people turn to geoengineering(气候工程) and nuclear fusion(聚变) (which has been “just around the corner” since 1943): the promise of technological progress. For the past century or more, humans have been accustomed to technological breakthroughs that made life easier, more comfortable and more entertaining. But climate change throws future advancement into doubt. It breaks the promise of progress. No matter what we do, we are going to be paying for the costs of our historical and current use of fossil fuels.
So we turn to technofideism- the faith that technology will save us. Perhaps it will. But perhaps it won’t, and our long-standing patterns of behavior will have to change along with our technology. And that’s a hard pill to swallow.
1. What is paragraph two mainly about?| A．Nuclear energy has lots of advocates. |
| B．The supporters of nuclear energy are unwise. |
| C．President Obama failed to conduct his energy plan. |
| D．Doubtful remarks about nuclear power will attract criticism. |
| A．To show it was a groundbreaking project. |
| B．To compare nuclear power and fossil-fuel energy. |
| C．To prove nuclear power didn’t live up to people’s expectations. |
| D．To indicate we need futuristic, untried technologies rather than nuclear. |
| A．Because it can cut down the current use of fossil fuels. |
| B．Because we tend to trust technological breakthroughs. |
| C．Because people are skeptical about the promise of technology. |
| D．Because geoengineering and nuclear fusion have set a good example. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Hesitant. | C．Aggressive. | D．Negative. |
【推荐3】Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns.
How does climate change make you feel? The news of melting glaciers and oil spills may seem overwhelming and can make you feel angry, frightened, hopeless or upset. This is called climate anxiety.
Positive action can inspire others too. Sisters Kim and Stella King from the charity Fights Against Plastic have picked up 90,000 pieces of plastic. They ask schools, businesses and organizations to follow their lead.
| A．Why is there climate anxiety? |
| B．And it is a normal, healthy response. |
| C．This risks the lives of humans, animals and plants. |
| D．Remember, it’s important to get support from people around. |
| E．No one can fix climate change on their own but we can all play a part. |
| F．These shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. |
| G．So, tell friends and family what you’re up to and encourage them to join in. |
【推荐1】They aren’t great artists like Leonardo da Vinci or Vincent van Gogh, but their paintings are just as popular on Chinese social media, with millions of Chinese people willing to pay for them.
The 36 works were painted by ordinary Chinese people who live with autism (自闭症) or cerebral palsy (脑瘫), aged from their early teens to late thirties. They all studied art at World of Art Brut Culture (WABC), which is a Shanghai-based non-profit organization (非盈利组织) for art education. The project was started by WABC and supported by the Tencent Charitable Foundation. Users could buy a digital copy of each painting by donating (捐赠) 1 yuan or more. By Aug 29, donations totaled more than 15 million yuan, with about 5.8 million people participating (参与).
“The paintings by these autistic kids and adults are beautiful: the style is similar to that of the Dutch artist Van Gogh. I’m really impressed by their talent,” Feng Li, a customer service officer in Shanghai, told the South China Morning Post.
However, the popular campaign also led to certain questions.
Li Laoxi, an experienced special education teacher in Hangzhou, said that based on his experience, people with autism could only draw a few lines or fill in colors under the guidance of their trainers. “Maybe there are some geniuses out there, but I’ve never met them”. Others questioned where the money would go, as the donations went to WABC instead of the painters. In response to these concerns, Miao Shiming, founder of WABC, said the money would be used to employ art teachers, buy supplies, and rent facilities. Meanwhile, Tencent said that all donation information would be open to the public.
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．An online painting exhibition. | B．A non-profit organization. |
| C．A public donation. | D．An online survey about paintings. |
| A．It helps them cure autism. | B．It provides art education for them. |
| C．It gives them money | D．It offers schooling to them. |
| A．Because he thought autistic people could not draw. |
| B．Because he doubted about the painting abilities of autistic people. |
| C．Because he didn’t trust the organization, WABC. |
| D．Because he believed the paintings were painted only by geniuses. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Appreciated. |
| C．Worried. | D．Objective. |
【推荐2】According to a survey, in Washington, DC, only 69 percent of public school students graduate from high school on time. Many factors influence that low rate. One of the most important ones is whether the people around the students expect them to succeed.
So, for the past 40 years,a DC organization has stepped in to give around 10,000 students the support and positive environment they need to thrive. This organization, called Higher Achievement, provides students with a welcoming space, help with class work, and caring teachers. More than 95 percent of students who complete Higher Achievement graduate from high school on time.
Katherine Roboff is the group's executive director in the DC area. She gives several reasons for the group’s success. One is timing. Higher Achievement does not work with students who are already in high school. It works with students in middle school. They start High Achievement at fifth or sixth grade-in the US, that is usually age 11 or 12.
Robolf says research shows that if students are doing well academically in eighth grade---around age 13---they will have a greater chance of graduating from high school and going to college. In other words, what happens in middle school has a huge effect.The years between ages 10 and 13 may affect a student's future more than anything that happens academically in high school.
Roboff explains that students participate in Higher Achievement after school and during the summer，when public schools take a break of about two months.High Achievement students do homework, have community meetings, and work one-on-one with a mentor（导师）.
The purpose of the programme is to help them use those after school and summer hours to become better prepared academically and to develop their leadership skills and confidence so that by the time they get into eighth grade they are ready to get into some of the top high school.”
1. What can we infer from the second paragraph?| A．Higher Achievement works with college students. |
| B．Many students have doubts about the organization. |
| C．Higher Achievement has spread throughout the Us. |
| D．Higher Achievement has helped many high school students. |
| A．they are certain to go to college |
| B．they are to succeed when they grow up |
| C．they are more likely to finish high school on time |
| D．they don't need any help in their studies |
| A．become naughty | B．improve themselves |
| C．earn more money | D．help others |
| A．public schools never offer positive environment |
| B．Higher Achievement only helps the students in the eighth grade |
| C．how Higher Achievement helps those students |
| D．Higher Achievement only helps those who have good skills. |
【推荐3】One of the marks of the Millennial Generation involves a passion for education. However, American students tend to rank unfavorably when compared with their peers in other nations globally. In his fascinating book The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century, the author Thomas L. Friedman describes how American students have fallen behind those of other nations in such subjects as math and engineering.
Meanwhile students in the U.S. are excellent at becoming couch potatoes: 65% of Americans are overweight. “We’re simply killing ourselves,” John Ratey says in his book Spark. “What’s even more disturbing is that inactivity is killing our brains too.” Low expectations produce expected results whether we are talking about the general population or students in local church ministries.
Let’s enter the Naperville school district near Chicago. In this single district, of the 19,000 sophomores (二年级学生), only 3% are overweight (compared to 30% nationally). But the students in this district reveal prowess (专长) in more ways than in fitness. In 2015 their 8th graders participated in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, an international study of students’ achievement. Ratey observes that in a time students in China, Japan and Singapore rank consistently above American students, while the Naperville class ranked sixth in math and first in science globally. What happened in this school district? There are several factors, as one reason hardly ever explains such a remarkable performance. But one issue stands out: each school day in Naperville begins with a “class” called Zero Hour in which students begin not with study but with exercise.
Ratey comments, “The essence of physical education in Naperville is teaching fitness instead of sports. The underlying philosophy is that if PE lessons can be used to instruct kids how to monitor and maintain their health and fitness, then the lessons they learn will serve them for life.”
Could it be that fitness is the most inexpensive means of increasing test scores? What has happened in Naperville did not begin with a brilliant educator with a Mensa-level IQ. It started with a PE teacher who read about the growing unhealthiness of American students. You can read Ratey’s book to get the details but in brief, the Naperville students no longer take gym classes with meaningless topics like learning the dimensions (面积) of a volleyball court. They start with Zero Hour running a mile with heart rate monitors. Here is what is discovered: learning is significantly improved when students begin with exercise. If you know students struggling with academics, or perhaps someone discouraged or even depressed (沮丧的) by academic setbacks, encourage them to try exercising. Help them get up, get active, and start their day by getting their body going.
More studies than can be counted have noted the positive ripple effect of exercise on dealing with depression, on eating better, on developing discipline, and on one’s general character. Now it seems that it also can directly affect academic performance. Students serious about becoming better learners should probably not start in the library at a desk with a pile of books but at home or the gym with some running shoes or a set of weights.
And who knows? They may discover they’re smarter than they thought.
1. What’s the main purpose of the first two paragraphs?| A．To show the author’s concern for American students’ academic performance. |
| B．To introduce to us two books which have something to do with education. |
| C．To inform us that the number of overweight children in America is huge. |
| D．To list the reasons for comparing students in America with those of other nations. |
| A．the students in Naperville keep fit in more ways than we expected |
| B．it’s worthwhile to pay a visit to the Naperville school district |
| C．the Naperville students’ fitness contributes greatly to their higher test scores |
| D．students in some Asian countries do better academically than American ones |
| A．knows how to monitor and maintain students’ health and fitness |
| B．sings high praise of Thomas L. Friedman’s book on American education |
| C．may mention the Naperville students’ gym classes |
| D．has been devoting himself to students’ overall development worldwide |
| A．exercise can build up one’s general character |
| B．exercise produces more than one positive effect |
| C．exercise is the best way to improve students’ test scores |
| D．exercise has a long-term effect on students’ academic performance |
| A．during Zero Hour students themselves spend time working out before class |
| B．forty-five minutes of exercise a day may be the magic number to lose weight |
| C．during Zero Hour heart rate monitors are used to prevent students’ laziness |
| D．fitness-based exercise makes our brain more ready to learn |
| A．To improve education, employ brilliant educators with high IQs. |
| B．Spend as much time as possible on sports. |
| C．Produce expected results with low expectations of students. |
| D．To help young people academically, get them moving. |
